As much as I love horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, I also really like documentaries. I usually tend to prefer nature documentaries, but occasionally I’ll find myself watching something a little different. I enjoy learning new things, and I enjoy being entertained, so when I spot a documentary that piques my interest, I’ll usually give it a try. And boy, did this documentary ever take me on a wild trip…
Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics Directed by Donick Cary – Documentary: Nick Offerman loosely hosts this wacky documentary about psychedelics. Through the use of interviews, animations, and skits, viewers can learn about what it’s like to experience the effects of LSD and how those personal experiences differ from the narrative that the media has previously presented about this drug.
Pros: This documentary preaches education vs. the typical “just say no” rhetoric that surrounds this drug. Excerpts of old tv campaigns are used to compare this rhetoric against the lived experiences of the people being interviewed. There’s even an ongoing skit that mocks these kinds of tv campaigns, showing that that they are an outdated way to learn about psychedelics.
Cons: Although the interviews are very informative, there was very little actual science presented. One of my favourite interviews was with a psychologist who spoke a bit about the potential scientific applications of psychedelics. As much as I enjoyed hearing about people’s personal experiences, I would have loved to have gotten more history/science out of this documenatry.
Final Thoughts: Going in to this, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from a documentary of psychedelics, but it was lots of fun and easy to watch. It paired well with a lazy night of knitting for me. I would love to see Netflix produce even more documentaries like this on taboo and/or misunderstood subjects.
